Abstract: A forced cooling friction brake or clutch apparatus which has a plate stack of interleaved plates including at least one plate rotatable with a shaft and axially shiftable thereon, and at least one plate axially shiftable on a housing. A pressure plate is axially juxtaposed with the stack and axially shiftable on the housing and defines a pressurizable compartment which can be subjected to fluid pressure to urge the pressure plate against the stack. An annular carrier on the shaft inwardly of the stack engages plates of the stack rotatable with the shaft, the carrier having an annular cavity opening axially to one side thereof and being formed with radial passages communicating with the cavity and opening toward the stack. A coolant channel is formed in the housing and opens toward the side of the carrier and into the cavity for delivering a forced flow of a coolant thereto.

Abstract: A friction clutch wherein the prongs of the diaphragm spring are formed with half spoon-shaped vanes each of which is adjacent to one edge face of the respective prong and serves to circulate air when the spring rotates. Each prong is further formed with a reinforcing rib which extends radially outwardly from the respective vane and into the ring-shaped main section of the spring. The ribs stiffen the prongs and prevent them from bending during actuation of the clutch, namely while the tips of the prongs are pushed or pulled in a direction to relax the bias of the spring upon the pressure plate of the clutch.

Abstract: An improved control apparatus provides a feedback control system for engaging selectively a clutch of a vehicle. The vehicle includes an engine, an engine shaft, and a drive train comprising a clutch assembly including clutch input and output members, a drive shaft, and a wheel assembly. The apparatus includes a servo-motor for engaging and disengaging the clutch members, a first sensor for detecting an angular velocity of the clutch input member, a second sensor for detecting an angular velocity of the drive shaft, and a third sensor for detecting the instantaneous torsional moment transmitted by the drive shaft to the wheel assembly. The apparatus further includes a feedback control unit for attenuating vibration in the vehicle drive train.

Abstract: A parking brake device adapted to be attached to a vehicle including a clutch lever on a handlebar such as a three- or four-wheeled buggy, wherein a parking brake is arranged coaxially with respect to the clutch lever; a lock arm is provided, which is formed at its free end with a lock hole for holding a parking brake lever in its braking position; and upper and lower pins are respectively inserted into upper and lower pin holders of a slitted sleeve mounted on the parking brake lever. The upper pin is pushed to engage the lower pin with the clutch lever and rotate therewith the parking brake lever by manipulation of the clutch lever, so that the slit on the parking brake lever is advanced into the free end of the lock arm to hold the parking brake in its braking position by the upper pin fitted into the lock hole in the lock arm.

Abstract: A clutch mechanism is designed to couple at will a flywheel and a shaft, and is equipped with a power takeoff for permanently driving a second shaft concentric with the first shaft.

Abstract: Shifting arrangement for a gear transmission constructed in sections to be used for vehicles. With a common manual clutch (2) a parking lock, a reversing transmission and a range-change transmission are shifted. The movements of the manual clutch (2) in the shifting direction, respectively in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, actuate in a purely mechanical manner the shifting of the parking lock and the reversing transmission. Movements of the manual clutch (2) in selection direction, respectively transversally to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, actuate mechanically and hydraulically the shifting of the range-change transmission. Mechanical locking devices prevent undesired shifting.

Abstract: An electrically controlled, progressive, frictional, torque transmitting device comprises a rotary element 1, 2, a proportion of the rotary power available from the rotary element 1, 2, being used, under the control of a direct electrical signal, to determine the degree of engagement of a frictional device 3, and hence the torque transmitted or absorbed by the torque transmitting device, thereby avoiding the requirement for an additional power source to activate the frictional device whole.

Abstract: A hydraulic master-slave system for clutch actuation includes a clutch sensor system to continuously detect and measure clutch position and wear. One alternate preferred embodiment comprises a resistive strip and wiper assembly coupled to an electrical control circuit to control vehicle functions dependent upon clutch position and wear. A second alternate preferred embodiment employs an optical fence and optical interrupter designed to generate quadrature output to the electrical control circuit.

Abstract: An automatic transmission system has a controllor for controlling the slip rate of a clutch in accordance with the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal instead of controlling the ON/OFF condition of the clutch by a control signal when it is discriminated that the gear change position of a transmission and the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal are in the predetermined states. In a predetermined condition, the slip rate of the clutch is adjusted in accordance with the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal so as to put the clutch in a semi-engaged condition, thereby enabling the speed of the vehicle to be controlled within a very low speed range simply by operation of the accelerator pedal.

Abstract: The transferred torque is continuously measured at a predetermined machine portion. A torque-dependent comparison signal is generated and compared with a predetermined maximal torque limit value. When the limit value is reached or exceeded, a positioning signal is generated, and the switching element releases the clutch. The generation of the torque-dependent comparison signal is effected in accordance with the measurement function M=M(t)+dM/dt.multidot..DELTA.t. In addition to measuring the transferred torque M(t), the variation dM/dt of the torque M(t) is also detected as a function of time, and subsequently the torque obtained as a comparison signal from the variation dM/dt at the end of a predetermined time interval .DELTA.t following the particular time of measurement is used as a comparison signal. The clutch is preferably formed with end face teeth.

Abstract: A friction clutch comprises a driving member incorporating first and second cover members joined together and forming an enclosure therebetween. Within the enclosure are a first driven plate, an intermediate pressure plate, a second driven plate and a main pressure plate. In the engaged condition these components are all clamped together by a belville spring. A release rod acts on the main pressure plate to move it against the spring and release the clutch. The main pressure plate is driven by straps from the second cover member while the intermediate pressure plate is similarly driven by straps from the first cover member. This arrangement allows the clutch to be handled in two major sub-assemblies. The first of these includes the second cover member, the spring and the main pressure plate. The second incorporates the intermediate pressure plate and the first cover member.

Abstract: A friction clutch having a cover, a diaphragm spring and a device for tiltably supporting the spring at the cover. The supporting device has a first support at the cover side, a circular second support at the other side of the spring, and holding sections stamped out of the material of the cover and bent so as to project through cutouts of the spring. The sections originally extend in the chordal or circumferential direction of the cover and are thereupon bent into planes extending at least substantially radially and at right angles to the plane of rotation of the cover. The entire sections or portions of the sections are bent in such a way that they extend axially beyond the second support and engage that side of the second support which faces away from the cover.

Abstract: Improvement in a hydraulic control apparatus for assembly on structure to actuate a remotely located mechanism, the apparatus including an actuator having an annular body providing an annular piston chamber therein and an annular piston slidably reciprocable on the body, the actuator being pre-filled with hydraulic fluid and pre-tested prior to being installed on the structure, an annular elastomeric seal axially reciprocable within the piston chamber which liquid-tight seals the hydraulic fluid behind it, the improvement comprising constructing the actuator so that it can be separated into two subassemblies, one being a body subassembly which includes the body and the other being a piston subassembly which includes the piston, the construction of the body being such that its piston chamber is formed at the rear end thereof and the construction of the piston being such that the rear end thereof reaches into the piston chamber and abuts against the seal during functioning of the actuator, the improvement furth

Abstract: An inertia lock type synchronous clutch mechanism in which elastic ring members on blocking rings are engaged by a shift sleeve splined to a clutch hub at a plurality of sloped circumferential cam portions protruding from the inner circumference of the sleeve so that the blocking rings are moved axially into frictional engagement with tapered cone portions of synchronized gears by the force applied through the elastic ring members by the axial shifting action of the shift sleeve. Each of the elastic ring members is formed with a plurality of outwardly convex portions corresponding to the respective cam portions and concave portions between the convex portions so that the elastic ring member concave portions engage grooves formed in the outer circumference of the boss portion of each of the blocking rings, whereby excess bulging of the elastic ring member is prevented.

Abstract: A brake booster (10, 210) connected to a control circuit (120) provides a system for the continued braking of a vehicle when the vehicle is situated on an incline and the brake pedal (92) is released by the operator. Continued brake application is accomplished by utilizing a control circuit (120) responsive to vehicular attitude, clutch pedal position, and vehicular direction. The control circuit (120) is connected to the combination of a check valve and two-way solenoid valve (100, 200) connected to a movable wall brake booster (10, 210). The combination valve (100) is connected to a flexible hose (110) disposed interiorily of the booster (10), and the other end of the flexible hose (110) connected to the input opening (32) of a three-way poppet valve (70) located at the central hub (30) of the booster (10).

Abstract: In the control of the slip in a slip clutch device for joining and separating an input shaft and an output shaft, the improvement comprises detecting a slip in the clutch, calculating a time change in the said slip and calculating a slip deviation between a preset target slip and the said slip, and feedback-controlling the engaging force of the clutch in proportion to the quantity of the time change in the said slip, obtained from these calculations, and the slip deviation so that the slip in the clutch is caused to get near to the target slip.According to the slip clutch device control method of this invention, the hunting in slip can be prevented from being caused even when the .mu.-v characteristics of a clutch facing is worsened, and a shock applied upon the clutch at the start of its operation can be reduced in a large extent.

Abstract: A magnetic disc clutch mechanism comprises a housing for receiving a cartridge in which a magnetic disc is rotatably disposed. The housing has a base, an opening, and a door movable to close and open the opening. A spindle assembly is slidably mounted on the base under the cartridge, and the spindle assembly is movable upward to contact the magnetic disc for rotatably holding the magnetic disc and is movable downward for releasing the magnetic disc. A lever is disposed on the base, one end of the lever being connected to the door and the other end thereof being movable back and forth relative to the spindle assembly according to the opening and closing movements of the door. An arm extends from the spindle assembly and cooperatively engages with the other end of the lever so that the spindle assembly moves forward when the door is closed and the spindle assembly moves backward when the door is opened.

Abstract: A clutch cooling device comprising a plurality of cooling fins at the inner peripheral end of a clutch cover which houses a pressure plate and a facing, said cooling fins inclined toward the inner side of said clutch cover from the forward side to the rearward side in the rotation direction of said cover.

Abstract: The planetary gear system includes a drive shaft extending rotatably through a hollow spindle which is fixed and a system of planetary gears driven by gear teeth on the shaft. The planetary gears operate within a stationary ring gear which is secured to the spindle by meshed, wedge-shaped, coupling teeth that are held in engagement to eliminate relative rotational movement therebetween.

Abstract: A torsional damper device comprises at least three coaxial parts rotatable relative to one another in pairs within defined limits of relative angular displacement. Such rotation occurs against circumferentially acting elastic members operative between them over part at least of such relative angular displacement. A first coaxial part comprises a hub. A second coaxial part comprises at least one transverse annular hub flange around the hub. First teeth with clearance are disposed between the hub and the hub flange. A third coaxial part comprises at least one transverse annular flange around but having no direct relationship with the hub, parallel to the hub flange. The second part further comprises at least one transverse annular auxiliary flange around the hub, parallel to and associated with the hub flange. Second teeth with clearance are disposed between the auxiliary flange and the hub.